Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for What If…? Episode 2 and talks about The Collector defeating Marvel superheroes
The latest episode of Marvel’s What If…? revealed that The Collector might have killed several Marvel superheroes. And the list might include Captain America and Thor! This latest episode had several shocking revelations for Marvel fans. Let’s start with the first one!
This came as a massive surprise where T’Challa became the Star-Lord leaving Peter Quill on Earth. As soon as this change occurs, T’Challa improves the galaxy. He gets the Ravagers to change their ways. T’Challa also convinces Thanos to give up his dreams of a massive genocide. He convinces him that there are other ways to bring balance in the world other than genocide.
But this change also brought some unfortunate and unexpected consequences. The void left by Thanos is filled by The Collector. As soon as he becomes the master of the intergalactic world, he wreaks havoc on the universe. He starts using his influence and power to increase his collection of trophies. He brings massive destruction to those around him. The Collector also recruits Black Order, Thanos’ former minions to do his dirty work.
Since Peter Quill doesn’t have his Guardians of the Galaxy team supporting him, he is left unprotected on earth. He becomes an easy target for Ego, Quill’s celestial father. He aims at using Quill’s celestial heritage and takes over the galaxy. And since there is no one stopping him, his dark motives can become more dangerous than Thanos’ finger snap.
Several Easter eggs are revealed during this episode, and they reveal some dark truths. And these dark truths reveal the death of some of the superheroes. When T’Challa and The Collector are fighting, the supervillain reveals and boasts of his achievements. He shows off a rock arm by bashing T’Challa. The Collector says that he got this arm from a “terribly chatty Kronan” which is supposedly hacked off from Taika Waititi’s Korg. He also shows Captain America’s shield and Thor’s hammer.
We know that Captain America and Thor would overpower The Collector. But there are some other ways, using which The Collector might have defeated them.
What If…? surely gives hints about how The Collector might have defeated Cap’ and Thor. The main events of the episode take place in the year 2008. According to the MCU timeline, Cap’ America went under the ice in 1945 and SHIELD revived him in 2011. So, if The Collector encountered him while he was on the ice, Cap’ would have been an easy target then. Similarly, The Collector also has Hela’s helmet, and he remarks that “she had taste”. The past tense connotation indicates that The Collector has not only taken Hela’s helmet but also her powers. And that’s how he might have defeated Thor.
What If…? episode doesn’t explicitly say anything about the death of Captain America and Thor. But it surely tells about the fate of Hela and Korg. There are surely other ways that The Collector can get their weapons. But there were other ways to defeat them too. In any case, this doesn’t look good. We mean Captain America giving his shield to a villain, that’s a story too wild even for What If…?
